The present invention relates to improvements in cameras and it relates particularly to an improved compact camera using a disk type film cartridge assembly.
A disk type film cartridge assembly is characterized by its extremely thin structure as compared with other types of film cartridge assemblies, for example, the 110 size film cartridge assemblies marketed by Eastman Kodak. Cameras using a disk type film cartridge assembly, in order to take advantage of the structure of such cartridge should be thin in body shape. However, the prior art cameras of this type are provided with a space (i.e. the so-called camera) required to afford a path for the light or to house a reflecting mirror in front of the exposure plane, making it impossible to significantly reduce the thickness of the camera body and thus posing a problem. A typical example of this type camera is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,614 issued May 13, 1980. This camera is so constructed that object light focused on the film plane through an objective lens is reflected by a mirror to direct to to the exposure plane, thereby requiring a large space in front of the exposure plane for housing the reflecting mirror. With this prior art camera, however, the space for housing the reflecting mirror is, in addition to the space needed for housing a film cartridge, resulting in an increased camera body thickness, whereby it is impossible to appreciably reduce the thickness of the camera body.